Misdiagnosis & Failure to Diagnose Lawyers
When we visit the doctor, we trust them to apply their years of training and experience to give us accurate and effective diagnoses and treatment. We rely on the judgment of our physicians because we generally have no means of questioning or second-guessing their assessments. Unfortunately, doctors make mistakes, and often these mistakes are avoidable. Whether due to being overworked, cutting costs, inebriation, or simple negligence, doctors misdiagnose or fail to diagnose ailments in patients with alarming regularity.
Misdiagnosis happens most frequently in the emergency room, but it can happen as part of a routine checkup or some other regular office visit. The consequences of misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose can be severe: Delayed treatment, no treatment at all, or treatment for the wrong condition can have permanent, life-altering effects. If you have been the victim of medical negligence due to misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose in New York’s Hudson Valley, contact the dedicated misdiagnosis attorneys at the Law Office of Taran M. Provost, PLLC for a free consultation. Our attorneys have over 40 years of combined experience with all types of personal injury claims. At the Law Office of Taran M. Provost, PLLC, we understand the debilitating effects that can result from medical malpractice, and we are here to help you hold negligent physicians and hospitals responsible for the damage you and your family have suffered.
Delayed Treatment or Lack of Treatment
One of the common occurrences following a misdiagnosis is delayed treatment. You may not uncover your true condition until you get a second opinion down the line, or your initial physician finally realizes their mistake. Starting a treatment later for ailments like cancer can mean missing the opportunity for less invasive and less harmful treatments, leaving only the most dangerous treatments and reducing your chance of recovery or survival. You may miss the chance to “cure” or prevent the problem from maturing and instead be left with merely treating the symptoms.
Patients who survive a misdiagnosis often experience one of several harmful events as a result: (1) a more damaging second occurrence as a result of a lack of treatment, such as a second heart attack or progression of a disease into a more severe form; (2) avoidable permanent damage due to misdiagnosis of a condition such as a stroke, which must be appropriately treated immediately in order to mitigate the effects. Failure to timely treat can lead to permanent brain or nerve damage; (3) more dangerous and aggressive treatment with worse side effects and less chance of full recovery.
What Causes a Misdiagnosis?
Doctors can misdiagnose or fail to diagnose a condition for a variety of reasons. The hospital may be understaffed, leaving physicians and other staff with insufficient time to properly assess each patient. The hospital’s equipment may be out-of-date or in disrepair. A medical professional may lack the appropriate, updated training and education to diagnose a condition properly. A doctor may simply make an easily avoidable mistake.
Often, doctors fail to diagnose because they either (a) fail to conduct routine medical tests or order the appropriate tests, or (b) misread or misunderstand results from laboratory tests, X-rays, or other routine medical tests. A doctor may misidentify a heart attack as a gastro-intestinal problem, sending home a patient who could die at any minute without proper treatment. Many doctors fail to diagnose cancer at early stages, such as by misidentifying a malignant tumor as benign, which can have devastating consequences. Whatever the reason for the error, if a misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose was caused by the negligence of a physician or other medical professional, they must be held accountable for their actions. Their failure may have dire consequences for you or a loved one, and you should not be left with the pain, suffering, disability, medical costs, and other damages caused by their errors without recourse.
Commonly Misdiagnosed Conditions
Doctors can misdiagnose or fail to diagnose any condition, ailment, disease or injury. Unfortunately, it is not only the unusual, exotic diseases that doctors misdiagnose. Often, physicians will mistake the symptoms of one common ailment for another, which can have dire consequences. Some of the conditions that doctors commonly misdiagnose include:
- Allergy to food or medication
- Heart disease or other heart condition
- Kidney disease
- Cancer, such as breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, or prostate cancer
- Surgical damage to vital organs
- Postoperative hemorrhage or infection
- Septic shock
- Pneumonia
- Meningitis
Call the Law Office of Taran M. Provost, PLLC After a Misdiagnosis or Failure to Diagnose
If you or a loved one has suffered because misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose, call the medical negligence lawyers at the Law Office of Taran M. Provost, PLLC today. Medical malpractice is an incredibly complicated and often difficult-to-prove area of law. Our attorneys have over 40 years of combined experience and are here to serve you in your time of need. The longer you delay bringing your medical negligence claim, the more difficult it will be to build your case and maximize your recovery. Call us today at 845-675-3243 for a free consultation.
